Ford Motor Co. has appointed former General Motors and Whirlpool executive Liz Door as its chief supply chain officer effective June 12, according to a press release.
Prior to joining Ford, Door led global strategic sourcing at Whirlpool for the past six years as head of North America procurement for the Michigan-based appliance maker. Door also spent 15 years at General Motors and was an executive in the company’s global purchasing and supply chain organization.
Ford’s current CFO John Lawler has been serving as interim chief supply chain officer since September 2022 as the company looked for a permanent replacement. Door will report to Lawler in her new role.
“Liz brings deep, relevant domain experience, including leveraging the Internet of Things to create great value for customers, from both outside and inside the global auto industry,” Lawler said in a statement. “That’s an ideal combination for leading a team that’s determined to restore supply chain management as a competitive advantage for Ford.”
Door’s appointment comes as the automaker focuses on improving quality and reducing costs through its supply chain as part of a transformation plan known as Ford+, announced by CEO Jim Farley in May 2021. The strategy's core initiatives will offer revamped products and services, including software, EVs and commercial vehicles.
The Ford+ plan is also highly focused on boosting profitability by reducing manufacturing costs, increasing revenue and improving shareholder value. The automaker hopes to make efficiency improvements in its global manufacturing footprint and develop more software-based vehicle architectures and digital platforms across its electric, gas and hybrid vehicles.
Ford is also working to reduce the complexity of its supply chains as it builds more EVs. This includes streamlining its supplier network and reducing the number of parts it uses.
“Ford and our suppliers will win together by delivering fresh, high-quality products for our customers,” Door said in a statement. “We’re going to expand the use of advanced quality planning throughout the supply portfolio.”
At Ford’s capital markets event last month, company executives told investors and analysts that the initiatives to become a more lean and profitable company have already contributed to capital efficiency, strong free cash flow and profitable growth at the company.
As the semiconductor shortage and other supply chain challenges improve, Ford reported solid operating results in the first quarter of the year.
First quarter revenue jumped by 20% YoY to $41.5 billion. The company also reported $1.8 billion in net income compared to a net loss of $3.1 billion a year ago. The automaker’s adjusted EBIT in Q1 was $3.4 billion, a 45% jump YoY.
